Daley: Time to compromise in Springfield

CHICAGO – Chicago Mayor Richard Daley this morning urged state leaders to compromise on a plan to provide long-term funding for education and other expenses.

Daley is traveling to Springfield today to push his legislative agenda and said he would meet individually with Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a fellow Chicago Democrat, and House and Senate leaders of both parties.

The influential mayor brushed aside suggestions that he should try to play peacemaker between Blagojevich and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, who has rejected the governor’s proposal for a multi-billion-dollar “gross-receipts” tax on certain businesses.

A competing plan to boost education funding would raise state income and sales taxes, but Blagojevich has vowed to veto such a bill.

“I hope there’s an attitude of just basically compromising,” Daley told reporters during a City Hall news conference. “I think we (should) set all our egos aside. Everybody’s well-intentioned, everybody’s there at the table. They want to do the things that are necessary to help the people of the state of Illinois.”

Daley said in his meetings with state leaders he would outline his top priorities, including cash infusions for education and mass-transit and passage of “common-sense” gun-control measures. The spring legislative session is supposed to end May 31, but infighting among Democrats who control the General Assembly could drag it out.

Blagojevich proposed the gross-receipts tax earlier this year as a way to raise money for schools and extend medical coverage to uninsured adults in Illinois. The plan has proven unpopular with businesses and many lawmakers. Daley said there appears to be more support for an income-tax increase.

Daley also planned to host his city’s annual “Taste of Chicago in Springfield” at the capital.